News Digest

Mexico City: 007 film ‘Spectre’ good for business in capital

Mexico City officials said Thursday that recent filming for the upcoming James Bond movie “Spectre” was a business boon for the capital’s colonial core, despite complaints over lost sales blamed on street closures. Hotel occupancy in the historic center rose 30 percent during the filming and the number of visitors to the district was up 53 percent, the city government said in a statement. It added that producers agreed beforehand to pay 225 businesses up to $2,500 a day in compensation for closures, and most of those had to shut down only for a few hours.

We are in position to affirm that the event not only did not hurt but rather improved commercial conditions for businesses in the center of the capital.

Mexican city government statement

Media publicity is also expected to boost business by bringing added interest in the cobblestoned quarter. Some businesses in the historic center complained that street closures during the March 19-April 1 film shoot prevented store and restaurant employees from reaching work and also kept many customers away.